1. Field
Example embodiments of the present invention in general relate to exercise devices for performing abdominal and lower back, or “core” exercises.
2. Related Art
In general, exercise machines provide resistance against movement of a user in order to strengthen the user's muscles. In conventional abdominal exercise techniques such as sit-ups, crunches and/or hyperextension exercises, the user is not protected for the entire range of motion. Additionally, with these conventional techniques the user may not stop upward movement at the desired maximum angle of inclination from vertical, which is recommended by doctors at no more than 30 degrees. This reduces the effectiveness of the abdominal exercise, and may cause unnecessary strain or injury to the lower back.
Thus, conventional techniques fail to provide adequate support and controlled resistance to the user. These techniques lack an effective means to control the resistance and motion of the user so as to maximize the effectiveness of the exercise and reduce the chance of injury due to an improperly performed repetition.
Further, of the conventional machines for use in exercising and strengthening a user's abdominal and back muscles by providing resistance to the user's movements, many permit only certain muscles of the abdominal and back muscle groups to be exercised, while other muscle groups are not attended to during the exercise. Moreover, some of these machines do not support the user's back during exercise, leading to hyperextension injuries.
Another issue which reduces the viability of abdominal exercise machines is size. Many currently available machines take up a substantial amount of usable space and/or cannot be easily stowed in a smaller area. This limits the user from storing and/or locating such machines at their home residence.